NFL’s Jonathan Owens undrafted to starting safety in Green Bay, playoff push, marriage to Simone Biles & learning importance of mental health through her journey.

FOLLOW THE PIVOT PODCAST: MERCH | https://pivotpodcast.com YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/thepivotpodcast INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/thepivot TWITTER | https://twitter.com/thepivot TIKTOK | https://tiktok.com/@thepivot FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/thepivotpodcast It’s the best time of year - What an exciting season it’s been and now it’s the race to the @NFL playoffs as the game action is heating up! Don’t miss any moment and catch all your favorite out of market teams on NFL Sunday Ticket by clicking this link [https://yt.be/83SLj] now for as low as $39!! Ryan, Channing and Fred sit down with the starting safety to talk about his journey to professional football and how he overcame adversity since day one. Division II prospects rarely get NFL looks, and undrafted players often have to be the hardest workers on the field to even make practice squads. Yet with his back against the wall, Jonathan Owens proved he belonged in the NFL, and now he is a core defensive member for the playoff-chasing Green Bay Packers. Jonathan and his Olympic star wife Simone Biles have become some of the biggest mental health advocates in the athletic space, and Owens becomes candid about his identity struggles after getting cut 5 different times. A story about how he and Simone met leads to a larger conversation about the importance of support systems in life, and by understanding paralysis by analysis, both he and Simone are excelling in their respective sports. Mentally, Jonathan and Ryan both went through the trials and tribulations of being an undrafted player in the NFL, and the two reflect on how much effort it takes to become a player coaches can’t take off the field. From spending 6 hours alone in an airport after an unsuccessful tryout with the Indianapolis Colts to spending late nights practicing on beat-up fields across from the Arizona Cardinals facilities, Jonathan Owens has learned how to stay his course. New episodes drop on Tuesdays at 12 p.m. ET and Fridays at 3:30 p.m ET. Check it out and catch NFL Sunday Ticket now on @YouTube & @YouTubeTV! Now as low as $39. The Lowest price on YouTube TV with Base Plan. Rest of 2023 season. Terms & embargoes apply. No cancellations. #Ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:01Speaker 00

  This episode is brought to you by Michelob Ultra. Good times mean competitions between you and your friends. Like seeing who can throw some pigskin the farthest, or rush the field the fastest. Winner gets an ultra. Because it's not just a superior light beer, it's also giving fans superior access to their favorite sporting events. Superior is worth playing for. Visit michelobultra.com/superioraccess to enter. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2026 Anheuser Busch InBev Michelob Ultra Beer, St. Louis, Missouri.

• 0:28Ryan Clark?

  Hey man, I hope you guys are enjoying your NFL season as much as we are, but right now, it's the race to the playoffs. And you can go to YouTube and YouTube TV and get NFL Sunday Ticket for as low as $39. And oh, there's no two-year contract.

• 0:44Channing Crowder?

  And bundling save with NFL Sunday Ticket and YouTube TV. 100-plus channels live? Come on now, baby. As low as $39, bro, you can't beat it.

• 0:55Fred Taylor?

  Know why I love it so much? Because we travel all the time. And I get to watch my games right here on my device. All I need is the internet. So, I'm good. I'm always good.

• 1:03Ryan Clark?

  You can catch your team's out-of-market afternoon games on YouTube and YouTube TV with NFL Sunday Ticket. And remember, there's no two-year contracts, and right now, in the race to the playoffs, you can get it for as low as $39. You can get NFL Sunday Ticket now as low as $39. Get it now by clicking the link in the description, or tap this link as we race to the playoffs.

• 1:26Channing Crowder?

  What up, dawg?

• 1:28Jonathan Owens?

  How we doing, man?

• 1:29Channing Crowder?

  What's happening with you, man?

• 1:30Jonathan Owens?

  Man.

• 1:31Channing Crowder?

  What up with you, brother? Good to see you, man. Nice, bro, man. Yes, sir. Light-skinned, there we go.

• 1:36Fred Taylor?

  There you go. I got me a hell eye.

• 1:38Jonathan Owens?

  What's up, bro? How you doing?

• 1:40Ryan Clark?

  He actually isn't light-skinned, though. He's not light-

• 1:44Jonathan Owens?

  I'm a little, I'm like caramel, though. I'm like caramel, though.

• 1:47Channing Crowder?

  You ain't gonna climb outside, bro?

• 1:48Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah, I'm, I'm, we, we cool, though. We here, we here, bro.

• 1:51Channing Crowder?

  He right there, right there, we had something.

• 1:53Jonathan Owens?

  Respect.

• 1:54Ryan Clark?

  His eyes light, so, and Mason, but, and too, he don't play football like he light-skinned, so really-

• 2:00Channing Crowder?

  Yeah, that's supposed to mean. Like, he really be hitting- Man, there's some light-skinned hair busters out there. There's some light-skinned, them Polynesians, we count them too.

• 2:08Jonathan Owens?

  Respect.

• 2:09Channing Crowder?

  We count Polynesians, man.

• 2:10Jonathan Owens?

  Said something, man.

• 2:12Ryan Clark?

  How y'all doing? How you doing? Good to see you guys.

• 2:15Jonathan Owens?

  Pleasant to meet you, SmoRy. Nice to meet you.

• 2:18Ryan Clark?

  What's happening? Oh, you mean that?

• 2:45Ryan Clark?

  What's up, brother? How you doing, man?

• 2:47Jonathan Owens?

  Man, blessed, man. Can't complain. Good to meet y'all, man.

• 2:50Ryan Clark?

  Freddie T., Chan. I'm RC, man, Jonathan. Welcome. I want to get to it. Explain to me how a dude with a 43-inch vertical, right? That runs a 4'3" from St. Louis ends up at Missouri Western.

• 3:05Jonathan Owens?

  Man, honestly, just, I was a late bloomer athletically. High school, I was, I was a good player on the team, but I hadn't, I wasn't like totally sure of myself yet. I had long arms, like my hands was always big, but I was just kind of awkward, just limbs flopping all over the place. I honestly feel like I didn't mature athletically until like my senior year of college. That was when everything just kind of like worked out for me at the right time, you know? But honestly, I was just trying to get a scholarship, man, because I knew my mom wasn't going to be able to afford college. So, um, they gave me a full scholarship and I had Pell Grant, so I was able to get a little refund check, you know? So, and that was all I needed at the time, you know? So, that was, that's, that's how that happened.

• 3:42Ryan Clark?

  Being awkward, was that how you had an ACL that was torn for months and didn't heal?

• 3:46Jonathan Owens?

  Honestly, I think it was because I wore ankle weights in high school for like a whole year. And that was how I started being able to jump. But they say ankle weights, they pull on your, your ligaments. So, I tore my ACL my senior year of high school, and that was, um, really what started it.

• 3:59Ryan Clark?

  Wasn't your ACL hurt longer though than you knew?

• 4:01Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah, it happened like football season, but I, I played the whole season. And then, um, I started playing basketball. And then I actually ran track and I won the long jump in the meet, jumping off my leg. That was my ACL that was torn. So, um, it swelled up after the meet, so that's why I knew something was wrong. But then I just went to the doctor and he's like, yeah, man, you have a completely torn ACL. So, um, and I was just... I'm fine. That was my first like injury I've really ever had. So um and I'm already committed to my school at this time. This is January when I found out. So well, not January, uh March. Already committed to my school at the time. So it's like, man, what do I like? I had to call my coach and tell him, you know, and um they they seen me in their plans though, man. So they just told me I was gonna red shirt and um just rehab and get stronger, you know, so.

• 4:43Channing Crowder?

  All of us as kids, they were gonna play in the league. They're like you saying, you get hurt, then you go to Missouri Western. Be honest, I don't even know what the hell that is or that mascot is.

• 4:52Ryan Clark?

  Missouri?

• 4:53Channing Crowder?

  Griffin, man. It's in Mc- yeah, Griffin, Missouri. Where is that?

• 4:57Ryan Clark?

  Missouri?

• 4:58Jonathan Owens?

  We we right outside of Kansas City. So fun fact, the Chiefs, they do training camp at my school. So I used to clean their rooms. So I could stay up at campus for free uh over the summer because they didn't they didn't pay for us to be up there. So I worked like on campus, like campus housing. I used to clean their rooms when they were at practice. Like that was awesome for us because we, you know, this is NFL player, you know, this is where we want to be. So like I think a big name was D'Anthony Thomas at the time. Like man, he had all these shoes. I'm like, man, this is crazy. Like I couldn't imagine, you know, myself being there, you know, fast forward. I I played the Chiefs and you know, people from my school staff is with the Chiefs now and it's just, you know, full circle moment. So.

• 5:32Ryan Clark?

  So what's that's like weeks ago on the field with the Patrick Mahomes and and all of these guys who a young Jonathan would be cleaning their lockers? And now having progressed, having matured, having, bottom line, man, I'm an undrafted free agent as well, having to work.

• 5:48Jonathan Owens?

  Right.

• 5:49Ryan Clark?

  And put yourself in that position. You ever reflect on those moments though, on those moments of cleaning just to be there, just to have housing? And now having an opportunity to play against people in those same jerseys.

• 6:01Jonathan Owens?

  I journal a lot just to write down things that um you know, happen just so I don't forget them. So the memories stay vivid. But honestly, now I just feel like I belong there, you know? We all have the same helmet on now. I've made plays in the league. So that's, you know, it just builds your confidence. But that's all I can say, man. It just it feels like I'm supposed to be out there. I have friends that I played with in college, man, that watch the games now. And it's just like they, you get that validation like, man, you you look good out there. You know what I mean? But you don't think about it, man. You know, you're just out there playing fast. Like you just see a number. I don't, it don't matter, you know, the name, you know, I'm just. Whatever my job is, man, gotta go execute it.

• 6:34Channing Crowder?

  Through that path, did you ever, did you ever question yourself? Did you ever have a, any kind of doubt that you was gonna be where you at?

• 6:41Jonathan Owens?

  Not doubt, but I was just unsure of myself. Like, I knew athletically I could do everything, but it was more so just confidence in actually doing it. Um, I was on practice squad for the first three years of my career. So that'll let doubt creep into your mind a little just because I've been cut five times. So you just have to keep going, you know? And I've, I've, I always had a great support staff around me, man. I had older teammates that would see stuff in me that I didn't see in myself. They would just tell me like, "Bro, just stay the course." Like, you know, I'm on the practice squad, my third year in Houston. I'm like, "Man, like, something gotta shake," you know? And, um, I had my boy, he's like, "Bro, you, you gonna be good. You just gotta, you know, stay the course." And three weeks after that conversation, I get my first interception on Justin Herbert. And that was, um, really the moment that changed my career, you know? Because now it's on film, it's not just in practice.

• 7:26Jonathan Owens?

  And, um, I run into better quarterbacks, you know, in NFL. And, um, you know, that really let me know I could do it.

• 7:31Fred Taylor?

  You talk about being a late bloomer and just wanting the opportunity to get, get in the scholarship. Just get an opportunity to go out there and play. Same thing being undrafted, those are opportunities. I think you recorded this and you take that everywhere you go and that chip on your shoulder. How does that, like, how does it really moti? I, I was drafted ninth, so I had a, a certain type of motivation.

• 7:55Channing Crowder?

  You always wanna tell somebody about this?

• 7:56Jonathan Owens?

  Every, every show we got, I was drafted ninth, I'm top ten.

• 8:02Fred Taylor?

  Listen, did I say that? Jay, did I say that?

• 8:05Jonathan Owens?

  I get it, Doc, I get it.

• 8:07Fred Taylor?

  I'm trying to ask him a question.

• 8:09Channing Crowder?

  You talking about yourself.

• 8:10Fred Taylor?

  No, I'm, I'm, I was, I said it's a different type of motivation.

• 8:14Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah.

• 8:14Fred Taylor?

  I wanna hear, I know his motivation.

• 8:16Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah.

• 8:17Fred Taylor?

  I wanna know his motivation.

• 8:19Jonathan Owens?

  I got you, Fred.

• 8:19Fred Taylor?

  You know what I'm saying? So I wanna hear from him, not y'all.

• 8:22Jonathan Owens?

  Honestly, man, it's just that feeling of just, you know, getting looked over for so long. It just, it just drives me to just wanna prove myself. That was the biggest thing, just to show that I belong, um, and continue to do that. And I've had guys tell me like, "Man, you, you know," 'cause now I'm in my sixth year, you know? So, um, they say the undrafted stuff is kinda out the window now, 'cause I'm, you know? But it just, man, it just makes me wanna prove myself, man, work harder just because, you know, I had to prove, I had to work so hard to show people that I belong, you know? And, um, I've been told that I wasn't good enough so many times. But I just took it as I have something else that I need to work on. And so that's what really drives me, just letting myself know that I've never, you know, you never got it, always something I can work on and. Something to improve on, so that's really, um, I guess you could say my driving force,

• 9:05Jonathan Owens?

  you know, my motivator. So I just wanna keep proving people wrong, man, that's it. And the people that believe in me, continue to prove them right.

• 9:12Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, and it never goes away, to be honest with you. Like, I played 13 and you feel, you feel that every step of the way. You know, like, the moment-

• 9:21Channing Crowder?

  Honestly, don't get into no long shit, bro. I gotta ask you, man. Goddamn, y'all boys scared. Bruh, it's us pretty red dimes as we are. How in the hell did you pull Simone Biles?

• 9:35Channing Crowder?

  And we, I love this football talk, bro. I gotta get to him. I'm over here rubbing my knees, trying to answer this question.

• 9:41Fred Taylor?

  Hey, Chan, I wanted to tell me, he talking about being looked over. Now I want the right people look at me. You know what I'm saying?

• 9:48Channing Crowder?

  How did you do that, bro?

• 9:49Jonathan Owens?

  Man, it's really how she pulled me, man. That's the question, man.

• 9:52Channing Crowder?

  Oh, Lord Jesus, now you with Freddie. Now it's back. Now you with Chan.

• 9:56Jonathan Owens?

  I'ma tell you, I'ma tell you, organic story, man. So I'm about, I just got to Houston. I probably have been to Houston seven months. I was single at the time, you know, so I'm just living, being me and myself. And COVID had just hit. And, but I had just went to Arizona and one of my boys are like, hey, man, you gotta check out this app, you know? And I'm like, nah, check it out. Like, what is it? It was called Raya at the time. So, um, basically it's like a dating app, but you know, you have to go through certain like criteria to make sure that you're who you are. So literally have been on that for a couple of days, man. And it's like, she pops up and I'm like, let me see who this is. Gymnastics? I ain't never, you know, I never really paid attention to gymnastics. So it piqued my curiosity, you know? So I'm like, okay, that's, that's, that's, I'll see what's up.

• 10:38Jonathan Owens?

  I swiped her and it said we matched. So I'm just like, okay, so I'ma see what's up. So I go do my workout and I come back and I get like, I had some likes on my Instagram, you know? And I'm like, I'm like, oh, this might be, I'm like, okay. So I see what's up and then I still waited. I'm like, man, I'ma wait, I'ma wait till I, you know, take a shower and everything. Then I come back to my phone and then she messaged me on the app like, hey, you know what I mean? Man, that's a man, this gotta be fake. Like, I don't know, just, I didn't know who she was at the time, but like, the first thing that I saw was that she just had a bunch of followers. So in my mind, I'm like, okay, she gotta be good if. I promise you, I'm a, I'm a real life story. When she won the Olympics, I was in college and we didn't have NBC, we didn't have Olympic channels.

• 11:23Jonathan Owens?

  And we're in camp, we're in camp, late, late, late July, early August, so I'm not paying attention to, you know, so I never would have had a moment to where I would have watched like, you know.

• 11:32Ryan Clark?

  Jonathan, I'm gonna let you finish your story, man, continue.

• 11:36Jonathan Owens?

  But like I was saying, man, she, she messaged me, this is like a Tuesday, and we, we, we were texting back and forth and then we hung out Friday, man. And we couldn't do much, as COVID happened, everything was shut down, so she came through down, down to Houston. She live in the suburbs, so she had to drive about forty-five minutes to me. Then the rest is history, man, so.

• 11:56Ryan Clark?

  So you was really the catch in.

• 11:58Jonathan Owens?

  I always say we, the men are catch, man, I always say we the catch, man.

• 12:01Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, so she really booked you.

• 12:04Jonathan Owens?

  She did, though.

• 12:04Ryan Clark?

  Is what you said.

• 12:06Jonathan Owens?

  I was fighting it, I was fighting it.

• 12:08Ryan Clark?

  So you, so in truth, if I say this out loud, was Jonathan Owens ain't really want some more balls, is what you're saying.

• 12:16Jonathan Owens?

  At the time, I'm not gonna say that.

• 12:18Ryan Clark?

  That what you're saying?

• 12:19Jonathan Owens?

  I was afraid, I, I was afraid to commit, I'm like, ah, I'm, man, this my, this my third year, you know, I'm trying to, ah, I'm like, it's kinda early. But, you know, like I said, man, it happened, we least suspected, and we hung out, man, it was like we hit it off instantly, you know, we just laughed the whole night. Man, play, uh, look, go ahead.

• 12:38Ryan Clark?

  I really wanted to talk about football. Did you tell her you didn't know who she was?

• 12:44Jonathan Owens?

  Actually, my question to her was like, who's your competition? I didn't know nothing about gymnastics, so I'm just asking.

• 12:49Ryan Clark?

  Nobody.

• 12:50Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah, and that's what she's like, she, she told me, like, myself, that's one, that's the most vivid memory I have of that, she was like, myself. I'm like, nah, for real, like, who, who do you compete with? She's like, you know, myself, it's, cause most of the time it comes down to if I mess up or not, and I'm like. And the moment where I knew she was the real deal, we were going to, I think she had a invitational, a gym invitational.

• 13:12Simone Biles?

  No, it was milk and cookies.

• 13:14Jonathan Owens?

  We were, that was.

• 13:16Simone Biles?

  It was milk and cookies before that.

• 13:17Ryan Clark?

  Yo, went to.

• 13:18Jonathan Owens?

  Went to Get Milk and Cookies and.

• 13:20Simone Biles?

  Cookie spot in Houston, the number one rated cookie spot.

• 13:23Jonathan Owens?

  Number one rated cookie spot, and it was so many, I think it was like a Sunday, we went, it was all these moms and, you know, they're there with their kids, and we walked past and everybody stopped and just. Kids are like shaking and it's like, oh my god. And I'm like.

• 13:37Channing Crowder?

  You thought it's because you thought you were fine.

• 13:39Jonathan Owens?

  Man, nah. This is funny. They asking me, they like, here, can you take this picture? And I'm like.

• 13:46Fred Taylor?

  So Jay, what you're doing right now is confirming that she is actually the best in the world at flipping. Flipping the script.

• 13:54Jonathan Owens?

  I see flipping.

• 13:54Fred Taylor?

  She shot her shot.

• 13:55Jonathan Owens?

  She flipped, she did though, she did though. Because if she wouldn't have messaged me, chances what, chances are like, I probably wouldn't have. I probably was just, mine would have went somewhere else and wouldn't have thought to, you know. Um, but she, she messaged me and, I mean, like I said, the rest is history, man.

• 14:09Ryan Clark?

  Honestly, in truth, Simone Biles is lucky.

• 14:14Channing Crowder?

  For what?

• 14:15Ryan Clark?

  Because she took a chance.

• 14:18Ryan Clark?

  She lucky because she wouldn't have all that. Jonathan said she wouldn't have all that.

• 14:23Jonathan Owens?

  Hey now.

• 14:24Ryan Clark?

  Because he had time.

• 14:25Channing Crowder?

  Jonathan, my god.

• 14:26Simone Biles?

  Yes, I would. Yes, I would.

• 14:29Jonathan Owens?

  Alright.

• 14:29Simone Biles?

  He matched, I was just the first to message. As soon as I clicked, ooh, I like him. It matched, so he had already liked my profile, which that means.

• 14:38Jonathan Owens?

  She always say we match first.

• 14:40Simone Biles?

  No, baby, we matched, but I was the first to message.

• 14:43Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah, you messaged me, she messaged, she wasn't scared, she wasn't scared, I give that.

• 14:47Simone Biles?

  I know what I like and I know what I want.

• 14:49Fred Taylor?

  Y'all are young newlyweds. Don't let people bring that shit in y'all house.

• 14:56Fred Taylor?

  Don't do that.

• 14:57Channing Crowder?

  I'm not trying to bring them shit nowhere, Freddie. This man's a hell of a safety. He will never be as good as a safety as this little motherfucker is at the gym.

• 15:10Channing Crowder?

  You agree, bro?

• 15:11Simone Biles?

  You know what, he might, because the other day I said, you know what, in a couple of years, nobody is gonna call him, Simone Biles' husband, they'll call me Jonathan Owens' wife.

• 15:19Ryan Clark?

  Speaking of, I don't know if you saw it, on Thanksgiving, on Thanksgiving, I tweeted.

• 15:25Jonathan Owens?

  I did see it too.

• 15:26Ryan Clark?

  I tweeted that they were not gonna, like, I always pay attention to like cats who got into the league like I did. And I do think safety is one of those positions that if you play it long enough. You can get the experience and then your talent comes through and you start to get, you start to get confident. For you though, take me back to being undrafted, right? Because I remember being undrafted and I remember, man, my second year and at the time, I didn't know what my sickle cell trait did. So like every now and then I would get really exhausted.

• 15:56Jonathan Owens?

  Right.

• 15:56Ryan Clark?

  Right, so we got, you know how camp is, bro, when you're undrafted. We had a scrimmage, we did a lot, special teams first. And then the starting safeties ain't play, so I was on ones, twos, right? So I'm hyperventilating, whatever, and I remember calling my mom crying. Because like they took me out the scrimmage and I was like, man, I can't make this. Like if I can't practice, I can't make the team.

• 16:16Jonathan Owens?

  Right.

• 16:17Ryan Clark?

  Take me back, man, to being injured after being undrafted. Now coming back to camp, being cut, working out across the street from the Arizona Cardinals.

• 16:28Jonathan Owens?

  Mess me up with that one.

• 16:29Ryan Clark?

  Facility, you know, like you said, it was just you and your speaker.

• 16:32Jonathan Owens?

  Mm-hmm.

• 16:32Ryan Clark?

  Like what were those moments like? Were you really trying to figure out whether or not I'll ever get to do the thing I love?

• 16:38Jonathan Owens?

  I'll never forget that time just because the moment when I got cut, like in my mind, I knew I was making the team. Just I felt, I felt like I had a great camp. Made like I knew my role, it was gonna be special teams at the time, you know? So making special team plays and I'm in my massage after the fourth preseason game. I get a call from Arizona area code. I'm like, that's weird, like I ain't gonna answer it, like nah. It texts me, I knew right away, like it killed my massage, you know? I had 90 minute massage, I probably was in there 20 minutes. I couldn't believe, it was the first time in my life I had been cut, you know? But it let me understand because we had drafted a couple of safeties that same year. So I started to understand it, but at the time, I'm like, wow, I did this on the field.

• 17:20Jonathan Owens?

  Like I don't get it, but you know, being undrafted, you know that route's gonna be a little harder for you. Just they don't have anything invested in me like that money wise, you know? So, man, it was, it was tough. Like I struggled with trying to figure out who I was. Because when people ask me like, you know, let's say I'm walking around my apartment building and someone, oh, what do you do? Like what do I say? You know, and I.

• 17:39Ryan Clark?

  Right now, nothing.

• 17:39Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah, and that was, I struggled with that just because I've always been a football player or I was in, you know, college. I was one of the better guys on my team. So you just, you're used to getting that notoriety and you just have that identity. And like I was cut for three and a half weeks and. Man, it was tough. I would go days where I just would go to the field, man, and just sit there. And like, I couldn't find any motivation to get up and work out because I'm by myself. I'm in Arizona. My family's all in St. Louis, so I'm, you know, I'm there by myself with my dog. And it was hot. So I'm just like, I had no, I felt, in my mind, I felt like I had no support. But I did. I just didn't want to tell my mom. Like, my mom had no clue I was going through, what I was going through. Um, because I just, you know, as football players, we have to, I try to keep that, you know, everything's all right. I'm fine.

• 18:24Jonathan Owens?

  Like, um, the car gonna come, you know? But secretly, like, man, I was freaking out. Like, I'm like, man, what am I gonna do? Like, I don't, like, I'm not gonna say I didn't have a plan B, but this is, I just felt like this is what I was supposed to do, man.

• 18:38Ryan Clark?

  Nah, you just know if Plan A works out, it's a lot better than Plan B.

• 18:40Jonathan Owens?

  You know, you know.

• 18:41Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, I've been there.

• 18:42Jonathan Owens?

  I remember, man, I had, I called one of my best friends, man. He, he went to college with me. He, uh, played in NFL for a few years. And I'm just talking to him like, bro, like, I'm, I'm struggling right now, man. Like, phone not ringing, you know? I had a tryout at the time and I went. Uh, my tryout was with the Colts, man. I'll never forget. I go through, I think I killed a workout. And, um, it's no, it's no coaches out there, just scouts. So I'm like, man, it's kinda weird, but whatever. I'm talking to one of the scouts, like, we just didn't see that explosion that we seen on film. And I'm, and my, you know, I'm like, explode, that, that's all I know. Like, I'm, I had the highest vertical in the whole draft class, you know? Like, I couldn't believe it, but I'm like, it's on film. Like, if you wanted to know how fast I was, you should've just had me run a forty.

• 19:22Jonathan Owens?

  Like, I'm doing DB drills. So I'm thinking, slow, smooth, smooth, it's fast. Like, I wanna keep feet time on the turf and, and Indy. And, you know, they just, man, they sent me home. They sent me on a, they sent me to the airport at like twelve. My flight wasn't to seven.

• 19:36Ryan Clark?

  Dang.

• 19:37Jonathan Owens?

  And that was the moment. Like, I called my agent right after that and we, I'm sitting in the airport still, about six hours. I'm like, man, my next tryout, like, I'm, it's over. Like, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not going back to this lot. Like, I just, it just made you feel like, here, you know? Man, they just threw me to, they dropped me off at the airport, twelve o'clock. And then a couple of weeks later, man, had a tryout in Houston. Man, I packed everything. Like, I wasn't coming back home. I, I went, took my dog to the pet mart, um, like, pet hotel. And I'm, looked at him like, I'm gonna be back, bro. Like, I don't know when I'm gonna be back, but I'm gonna be back to get you. Man, I went to that tryout in Houston. Like, I packed my game system, every, like, I knew, I, in my mind. Man, I went there, I'm telling you, I'm dead tired. They had me run a 40,

• 20:20Jonathan Owens?

  did a broad jump, pro agility, and I hadn't ran a 40 since, it's been a couple of years, you know, combine training. Um, man, I'm talking about, I'm dead exhausted. I'm catching deep balls, I'm sprinting all the way back to the guy, letting him know, like, man, I'm not going back home. Like, I started to do medical, and I'm like, I'm getting the idea, like, okay, they probably, man, the guy came in and told me they was gonna sign me to P squad, and that was, man, like, I cried, like, you know, just because, man, I had been.

• 20:44Ryan Clark?

  Been there.

• 20:45Jonathan Owens?

  Man, you know, like, I had been on that field, literally, the Cardinals training facility was right across the street, so I would have to go at the later part of the day when it wouldn't be as hot outside, so I would see, like, my good friends leaving in their cars, driving home, and I'm out here, like, I got kicked off the field by amateur soccer team, they're like, ah, we need this field, because it was better grass. So they sent me, I had to go find another field that was choppy, wasn't cut up, and, man, I'm out there with my little plastic water bottle and my speaker, you know. And then, like I said, man, I got, I got signed to Houston, September 29th, you know, 2019, and it was like, you know.

• 21:19Ryan Clark?

  That's a testimony, though, man. I think, you know, like, your story is, when you going through it, you feel like you're the only person that's ever been through it, and you're the only person going through it at that time, but there's, everybody, there's only one person that get picked ninth every year.

• 21:34Jonathan Owens?

  Right.

• 21:35Ryan Clark?

  There is, like, there's just, there's just, and like, not being funny, there's only somebody that's that good, that's accomplished that much. There are more people like us.

• 21:43Jonathan Owens?

  Right.

• 21:44Ryan Clark?

  That don't get drafted, they get passed over for seven rounds, and it's about, though, it's about in those times where you feel like it's over, believing in yourself enough to keep trying, you know what I mean? Because I remember, so when I got cut from the Giants the first time, well, the second time, when they cut me and they sent me home, I just got married.

• 22:07Speaker 00

  This episode is brought to you by Michelob Ultra. Good times mean competitions between you and your friends, like seeing who can throw some pigskin the farthest, or rush the field the fastest. Winner gets an Ultra. Because it's not just a superior light beer, it's also giving fans superior access to their favorite sporting events. Superior is worth playing for. Visit michelobultra.com/superioraccess to enter. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2026 Anheuser-Busch InBev Michelob Ultra Beer, St. Louis, Missouri.

• 22:37Ryan Clark?

  And so, I'm married, and so I took a job at LSU. Because that's why I went to school, I graduated, they were looking out for me. And I remember, somebody coming into the office and, you know, being like, "Man, you were so good in college, this and this," you know, they asked you what happened. And it's hard to explain to somebody who thought you were really good in college. Well, they don't really care that much, because they didn't draft me, like, I wasn't drafted. And I remember somebody asking me, like, was I okay? Like, had I played long enough? And I remember, I used to lie to people. And be like, "Man, you know, I wasn't drafted, I got two years, that's a blessing." And I remember, man, for a week, I just went home and prayed that I got a shot. I was like, "Just give me a chance." I remember, I went to the first cuts, after I made the tryout, the first cuts.

• 23:20Ryan Clark?

  I was the last name, like, the very last name, on the screen. Nobody called me, nobody texted me. We were in Washington. And I remember, man, I was on the phone, and man, you know I like, your significant other act, like, where, like, you don't be pissed, they just be more pissed off for you, you know what I mean? She was like, "Dang, mother effin' call you, woo woo woo." And I was like, "Nah," it's like, all I asked God for was a chance. So I got on my knees, man, I thanked God, I packed my bags, brought them to the facility the next day, I'm telling everybody goodbye, and Greg Williams called me to the office, and he was like, cussing, he was pissed off, and he told me that day, he was like, "I don't know why they put your name on there, you're not cut." He said, "And if we picked a team today, you'd make it." You know what I mean?

• 24:03Ryan Clark?

  And it just came to me, like, what if in that moment, I was reading Job at the time, I was like, what if in that moment, I cursed God for giving me the very thing I asked for? And so, man, like, your story is a testament to sticking to it, man, and perseverance, man. So, like, give that testimony to other people in that locker room.

• 24:20Channing Crowder?

  The business of the NFL, something you're talking about, do you think, you think a lot, now, I won't say you're a vet, you're still a young dude, but you think a lot of guys understand the business side?

• 24:30Jonathan Owens?

  You know, understand it to it like affects you, you know what I mean? Where, like I said, you are undrafted guy and they do have guys that's drafted in. You might be outplaying them, but they're still gonna, you know, because we, we, we, we see a future with them. You know what I mean? So they're gonna kind of push them and I just feel like sometimes when you're undrafted, you have to work so hard to show that you belong versus when you drafted, you get more leeway, you know? And so that was just something that I was just having in my mind just while I'm out there. Like, um, my earlier years, like, man, I can't mess up. Like, I'm only gonna get a cup, two reps at practice. And it's camp, like, I'm getting two reps at the end of practice, you know? And I'm trying to keep myself warm, like, and then, you know, you start to understand how it's looking. You start to see people, it's like their third week, getting towards the end of August,

• 25:14Jonathan Owens?

  you're like, yeah, let me start focusing on these special teams. So, you know what I mean? Just, man, just from watching guys, man, like, I, I just start to see how you just have to find your role and maximize it. When you get the opportunity, you just can't look back, you know? So like Mike Thomas, he was a, a big time vet for me when I was in Houston. Like, he, undrafted, when he played 12, like, he was at 12, 13 years. And so he just, like, AJ, like, he would always talk to me because I would just be in my head like, bro, I know I'm good enough to play, like, I'm doing it in practice. Like, I'm, at the time, we were in 2019 in Houston, we had one of the better offenses. So, you know, that was the year we lost to the Chiefs. And so I'm in practice going against these guys every day, just, you know, feeling like I'm getting better. Like, I'm catching interceptions, man.

• 25:57Jonathan Owens?

  I feel like I'm being impactful and it just wasn't, you know, nothing was shake. But he was just always just talked to me like, man, you just gotta, hey, it's undrafted. Just gotta stay the course. And that was what helped me was talking to guys, you know? And just always, you know, they always tell you, man, find a vet to, you know, look after them and just kind of watch how they work and, you know, their routine, how they take care of their body. So now I try to be that, like, guy for people. Just, if I see a new dude in the locker room just got signed, like, hey, bro, come on. Like, this, you know, or you go in the meeting room, hey, bro, don't sit there. There's somebody's spot just here, you can sit, you know? Because it don't take much effort to just, like, I know you don't know nothing, you know what I mean? It ain't hard to be a good dude. You know, and I, but I just remember being like new, unsure where I'm supposed to go. And, you know, now I have kind of established myself and so I always make sure I give back.

• 26:42Jonathan Owens?

  And like, I'm, I'm the one, I always talk to the rookies, just get them hip, like, hey, bro, probably shouldn't do that. Like, look, I'm just homeboy to homeboy, like, let me just let you know, like, this is, you know? So just try to kind of bring guys along and, um, any way that I can, you know?

• 26:55Fred Taylor?

  Outside of trying to make a roster. Convincing your family that you ain't got it like that. How do you stay, how were you able to stay focused and let them know, look, I'm still grinding. You know, just because I'm in the NFL, that doesn't mean I got five million dollars a year or two million laid away. How were you able to navigate that with your people?

• 27:14Jonathan Owens?

  Honestly, my mom, like she, my mom asked me for a thing, like she's terrified to ask me for something. Just, that's just the type of person she is. She'll rather try to figure it out herself. And you know, if people ask her, she'll just kind of like, nah, mm-mm, he don't do that, you know? So I guess it's just having like strong people, you know, around you, man, to help. Like my mom, like, man, my wife should tell me like, no, you're not doing that, no. Like, just the other day, no, you're not getting, they're not getting that for Christmas. I don't care what you say. Got you, baby. Sound good, but, but you know, it's like, it's, it's stuff like that though to where, you know, it really helps you because me, I'm just, like, I want everybody to. Like, so my rookie year I did, like, I didn't know. My rookie year, I was, you know, the most generous I've ever been just because, you know,

• 27:59Jonathan Owens?

  I'm, I'm getting a little bit, so I want to make sure everybody good. But, you know, who's gonna help you if you don't have nothing, you know?

• 28:05Fred Taylor?

  They would always say as rookies, the thing harder than training camp is learning how to say no. Especially for rookies.

• 28:11Jonathan Owens?

  Took me like a kind of year, year and a half to just really like learn. And honestly, it took me being cut and not having income from, because that's at the time, you know, checks stopped last game. So first week of January, and then I'm, you know, I'm like, oh yeah, I'm gonna be on the team, like at least P squad, like at least they, they kept, Arizona kept me on the team for IR. So I'm like, I know, I think they like me, you know? So, man, we get all the way to September and I'm like, dang, I still, and then I get cut. And then it's like, I gotta, you know, like, man, like this is, this really, it really be crazy because you just spinning, spinning, you know what I mean? And so that was the moment really where it's like, okay, like you gotta really, you know, just have to lock in with it, you know what I mean?

• 28:54Jonathan Owens?

  And it, it do suck sometimes telling people no because you just, as a good person, you want to just help everybody. But like I said, just having good people around me, man. My mom, she's just, she's awesome.

• 29:05Ryan Clark?

  You know, you guys are playing like as your ascension, what y'all had, you know, like Rudy, Darnell earlier, like those guys have gotten banged up. Like you've gotten an opportunity to play and I always say, man, like when you get a chance, make them have to pull you off the field, right? You don't give that spot up and you know, you guys, you know, Detroit. Is leading the North, a team that y'all beat. The Kansas City Chiefs, the defending champions, a team that y'all beat. Along with you ascending and the team playing well, you know, you have seen the ups and downs of a young guy like Jordan Love. What is like him starting to play well? How has that helped your team win some of these big games? And actually put y'all in the playoff hunt?

• 29:46Jonathan Owens?

  Man, I'mma just tell you about J. Love, man. Like, we see so much in practice, like just the arm angle, just the touch. And I could tell every, you know, how much he's watched and has learned and grown since he's been in NFL. But man, he's, you know, it's all about confidence, man, and just playing free and just being decisive. You know, really seeing it, like, once he, the offense really started, you know, rolling. We were in the Kansas City game, and I'm like, man, they, we only punted twice, I think, you know? And that's, I'm also on punt, you know, I'm the president of Texas, so.

• 30:15Ryan Clark?

  That's what I want too.

• 30:16Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah.

• 30:17Ryan Clark?

  I hated that joke too.

• 30:19Jonathan Owens?

  I kinda, I like to hit.

• 30:20Ryan Clark?

  Not me.

• 30:20Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah.

• 30:21Ryan Clark?

  I used to like, man, y'all better call a TV timeout. I used to be gassed, dawg.

• 30:26Fred Taylor?

  You gotta do the count.

• 30:28Jonathan Owens?

  Hey, you gotta get that player performance, man. Every play you out there.

• 30:32Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, so like, just, you know, how do you, how do you feel about where the team is? Is now as you guys start to get healthier? And now it's time to make that push to put yourselves in the playoffs, which y'all are in the wild card hunt now.

• 30:45Jonathan Owens?

  I just feel like this is just the best time for us to be hitting our stride, man, and just finding our identity, you know, offensively and defensively. You know, you get to December football, and this is where it really matters. It's where you separate yourself, and the division starts to, you know, you start playing teams twice in three weeks, you know what I mean? And I just feel like, man, it's, it's great to see just the offense because we have so many rookies, you know? So, guys just gotta kinda.

• 31:08Ryan Clark?

  The season's cold.

• 31:08Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah, man, them boys, they, the boys nice, you know? Once, once everyone figured it out, you know, and just you learn how to be a pro. And like, I have a rookie, Wicks, he's, he's my, right, right next, right next to my locker. So, I talk to him every day, just tell him, hey, bro, I seen you do this in practice. They just, you know, just to make him better. And they all, you know, listen, very receptive to everything. But that's the best thing, man, about the team, everyone's selfless. Like, you know, guys don't complain about not getting the ball, you know, just because we have so many weapons. And defensively, we just have so many vets, like, we have guys that have been there, been established, and they don't let you slip, like, Rashawn Gary, can't do it around him, like.

• 31:47Ryan Clark?

  Why he cry all the time, though?

• 31:48Jonathan Owens?

  Man, he, I, you need D-line. He's one of my favorite players now.

• 31:53Channing Crowder?

  I love Rashad Gary, bro.

• 31:55Speaker 06

  Oh, he a monster.

• 31:56Jonathan Owens?

  Anybody would love to play behind him, because you know, he getting there, he getting there. He's affecting the quarterback, like, the man had Detroit game, man.

• 32:04Speaker 06

  Three sacks?

• 32:05Jonathan Owens?

  Three strip, like, three sacks, two strip, like, he gifted me a touchdown. I tell him, like, man, I appreciate you, you know, like, and he's, you know, but he's just, he's such a selfish guy, man.

• 32:16Channing Crowder?

  How is it to play in Green Bay? Because you hear the story where you can't get a seasoned chicken unless somebody granddaddy give it to you and all. I remember playing in Green Bay, and they were passionate fans, they ain't nasty, they pleasant. Like, you'll make a tackle, and they'll be like, good play. But being in a, it's a small market.

• 32:31Jonathan Owens?

  Right.

• 32:31Channing Crowder?

  Like, can you go somewhere without people knowing who you are in Green Bay?

• 32:35Jonathan Owens?

  Nah, not for real. It's, it's, you know, because everyone's a fan of the team, so, but they're very respectful, man. That's why I could tell you, like, like you said, they so nice. Um, this is the first place I've been that has like an actual, like, Green Bay fan base. When I was in Arizona, Arizona a big melting pot, so people from everywhere. You have away games, you gonna have a lot of people from the other team, you know? And then Houston's the same way at the time, you know, a lot of people. So, Green Bay, it's like, man, you at the home games, like, it's a, a energy, like, I can't explain to you. Man, that Kansas City game was so loud. It was one moment, I was trying to like yell to the corner, and he just locked in, but he, you know, it's third down, so the crowd is just... And I'm trying to yell at him, I'm just like, F it, man, I hope you, I hope you're here with me, like.

• 33:16Jonathan Owens?

  But, um, and I love it, man, I don't, you know, I've, I've been in the, you know, cities where everything's going on, so I did that already. Um, you know, I'm married now, so, man, I love it, man, I can't complain. Honestly, it reminds me a lot of my college town, so, um, and I don't do much. I go home and, you know, watch film and kind of sit and watch TV, so I'm...

• 33:34Channing Crowder?

  You can stay here the streets a little bit, Mary.

• 33:36Jonathan Owens?

  Nah, I mean, not in Green Bay.

• 33:38Channing Crowder?

  Yeah, what streets you gonna hit, huh? I'm in Bay Street.

• 33:41Jonathan Owens?

  I hit the streets with my lady, man.

• 33:42Channing Crowder?

  I didn't feel to win the, the celebrity couple game.

• 33:46Jonathan Owens?

  Oh, my God.

• 33:47Channing Crowder?

  They, they had, they had the wives and girlfriends on TVs.

• 33:51Jonathan Owens?

  They did.

• 33:52Channing Crowder?

  More than the, the players.

• 33:53Jonathan Owens?

  They did.

• 33:53Channing Crowder?

  Like, they had Simone and, uh, Taylor on TV way more than Jonathan and Travis.

• 33:59Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah, it was, I was just glad that I won my matchup. We won the game, that's all I worry about, man. Interviewers asking me, like, do, you know, do you care about, you know, them coming to the game? Like, it doesn't, you know, I just a mess with them, and, nah, it don't make no difference to me, just look at them.

• 34:14Ryan Clark?

  Well, one, that's your, that's your wife.

• 34:16Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah.

• 34:16Ryan Clark?

  That's, that's what it's gonna be to you. That's where it starts. Do you feel like that's in, that is embraced? Because even in saying initially, like you didn't know who she was, you know now.

• 34:30Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah.

• 34:30Ryan Clark?

  And so does everybody else in the world. And it's like, you know, there is going to be a sort of fanfare and attention that goes on with that. Even in the, the privacy of your relationship and what your couple is. But as you play football as well, if she comes to the game, she still is Simone Biles as a singular human and celebrity. Do you feel that's been embraced in Green Bay and it being such a small town?

• 34:55Jonathan Owens?

  Oh, man, they, they, honestly, it's, it's okay. The fans, they just, they awesome. You know, they love having us there. And people tell you all the time, you know, so happy to have you here. It's just the type of people they are there, man. Like I, it's, we don't, we don't mind that it's a small market. Honestly, um, in my opinion, like, this is the most like locked in and the best football I've played, just being here. And it just make you lock in, man. Like it's, you don't have, as, you know, all those distractions. And, you know, like I said, I go home and I'm like, I'm watching iPad, like I'm, I'm, I'm looking at things. You know, I'm trying to get tips on the offense and see what I can do, you know what I mean? Just to make my game better or make me play this much faster. So, man, I, like I said, man, it's a blessing in disguise, man.

• 35:34Ryan Clark?

  Being young and being married is, is difficult in itself because you're, you're continuing to grow individually and you have to find a way to grow together. Also, being married to a public figure, and you came to Simone's defense over a shopping trip. And you explained something non-celebrities don't understand. That there is no limit on how much people feel like they're entitled to or will ask you for. Do you ever find that difficult to navigate because?

• 36:05Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, you have to support your spouse in the home. You have to support and back her as you guys live your lives. But it's also different when you have to support her so publicly in a situation like that. How do you navigate that with also thinking about your career as well?

• 36:20Jonathan Owens?

  At first, it was difficult to just understand how much in the public eye you are. Like literally everything you do. Like we'll take a picture in front of a restaurant and you know, next thing you know, it's on Yahoo. Or someone's, you know, snap screenshot and then sending it to me, you know. So it was, it took, it took a minute to get used to it. But at the same time, you just have to let people know that like you're human too. You know, if we're out and you know, we want to have a good time and relax. And like I said, man, like we take one picture, you know, people just gonna swarm you. And now we're trying to walk around the mall and it's 100 people following us. That was really like the thing where we go out and it'll be like, we kind of look at each other like going, you know. Sometimes, you know, as kids, you know, that's a moment where you just, you go with it and you know, you gotta, you know.

• 37:02Jonathan Owens?

  Kids might not know when they'll see you. So you know, you understand that, you know. You know, we had a restaurant and we're out eating and you know, someone comes up and that's the one time where I had to get used to it. She was a lot nicer than me. Me, I would just get annoyed like, bro, we sitting here eating like you really. And then they gonna put the phone, you know, they steady like, hey, can you take the picture for us? And I'm like, man, I'm not trying to take this picture.

• 37:23Ryan Clark?

  You're a photographer.

• 37:23Jonathan Owens?

  I got food in my mouth, man. They trying to have me, you know, so. But it's just, it's what comes with it, you know? And that was one thing, like the way that she handles it is I'll just watch her, you know, she's just, she has her times. So she like, you know, she'll take every picture. But then, you know, if we're doing stuff and she doesn't want to cause a scene, like especially sometimes at the game, she'll, you know, like, you know, I'm here for him.

• 37:43Ryan Clark?

  She does support you, bro.

• 37:44Jonathan Owens?

  You know, I'm here for him. Like I don't want to, you know, so. And I appreciate her for that a lot. Like she's helped me transition into the spotlight. Because before I met her, like I'm not, I was just a regular NFL player. So I can walk around the mall, people wouldn't, you know, and that was all I knew at the time, you know. But then when I got with her and I did see how much in the public eye she is, how many people recognize her. I mean, we're out the country and you know, we're still looking over our shoulder, you know. I just, man, she's kind of taught me how to deal with that though.

• 38:11Fred Taylor?

  Even with that, she's a big advocate in the mental health space. How did she help you with those challenges of being a pro NFL player? A lot of ups and downs, maybe not having the confidence that you talked about.

• 38:23Jonathan Owens?

  I'm glad you brought that up, man. Me, me and her, man, we had a conversation before the first game. Like maybe, uh, cause you know, we get that break before, right out of the camp, you get that weekend. And I'm watching film and she, I said, babe, look at this. Like, I thought I did. She's like, you look a little slow right there. And I'm like, girl, what you talking about? And she's like, you just look like you're thinking too much. And like, because I know who's like, anybody else, any other woman other than her, I'd have been like, man, what are you talking about? You know, but she said that. She's like, I've just been noticing it, you know? I noticed it for a while. I just didn't say anything to you, just, but she did. And when I thought about it, like, other, like, my coaches have told me that because I'm very like, I've always been like a nerd in school, you know, very analytical thinker, you know?

• 39:07Jonathan Owens?

  And she told me that and it brought it to my attention and it was slowing me down just because I went to the sports psych guy with the Packers and he told me it was called paralysis by analysis. So you, you trying to be so aware of everything that's going on that you freeze yourself and you know what I mean? And that would happen to me and it would be times where she would leave the game and be like, ah, babe, you just look a little slow today. I'm like, girl, be quiet. Like, what, you know, like? But when she did that, it made me, you know, had to work on myself, you know? Because I did realize like, I was confident, but it was almost like pretending confidence just because I know I'm supposed to be confident because I'm in NFL, you know? In my mind, I still hadn't proved myself enough.

• 39:48Jonathan Owens?

  And then we had that conversation and I went, you know, to the sports psych guy, just talked to him about it. And he's just kind of telling me everything that was going on and talking about like imposter syndrome and just thinking that you are, you know, everyone else thinks that you're something else, you know? And but in your mind, you still don't feel like you deserve it, you know? That was really something that I was dealing with. Sports psych guy, a few times a week, man, talking with him and.

• 40:12Speaker 00

  This episode is brought to you by Michelob Ultra. Good times mean competitions between you and your friends. Like seeing who can throw some pigskin the farthest or rush the field the fastest. Winner gets an ultra. Because it's not just a superior like beer. It's also giving fans superior access to their favorite sporting events. Superior is worth playing for. Visit michelobultra.com/superioraccess to enter. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2026 Anheuser Busch InBev Michelob Ultra Beer, St. Louis, Missouri.

• 40:40Jonathan Owens?

  She told me though, she's like, that's what I like right there, you know, and just seeing how fast and just quick and just making fast, full-speed decisions. It was a game we had against the Rams. I'm in cover three in Karel Flat. Quarterback dropped a snap. It's a rainy game. He dropped a snap and I had to shoot the B gap like, you know what I mean? Like I said, I'm in coverage. I shoot the B gap and I go get a strip sack and it's like, critical part in the game. And it was just, it wasn't even, yeah, you know, and she, she's like, I was surprised you went that fast. I didn't think you were going, you know what I mean? And so, that was the moment I told her, I was like, you know, whenever I write a book one day, you know, I'm gonna come back to this situation, like this conversation we had, like, we just laying in the bed, man, I'm watching my iPad and she tell me that.

• 41:25Jonathan Owens?

  But, you know, that's what, like, I think about all the time, you know, I'm telling her, that was the big moment in my career where I feel like my trajectory and my career changed because I like, I started 17 games last year, but I was kind of forced into a vet role, but I was still new. I had only started three games before I started our 17. You were playing with Jalen though too. Yeah, so I'm, I'm really having to try to accelerate, like, I gotta help, you know, kind of help bring him along too. But, like I said, it wasn't, now, I'm not saying it was pretend, but I had to play this role of, you know, I'm a vet, but really, I'm just as young as you, P.J., you know, in my mind, that's how I used to think about it. But man, when we had that conversation, it just, you know, she just opened my mind to...

• 42:07Ryan Clark?

  Ed Reed said that football is a smart man's game, not a thinking man's game.

• 42:13Fred Taylor?

  Right. That's perfect timing. I just wanted to share with you that I too had a sportsite guy. Kind of lost my confidence after some injuries. And that imposter syndrome thing is real. And what I would do, and one thing I would suggest for you is, you would take all these, a lot of your highlights, a lot of your best plays, don't be shy about it, because you are that guy out there making those plays. You get R.C.'s cut-ups, you go get some of the best, Sean Taylor, Troy Palamalu, Ed Reed, and you splice those with your highlights over whatever music you want and whatever quotes. You hear Tiger talking, Muhammad Ali talking in the background, and you watch that before the game.

• 42:55Fred Taylor?

  That's just gonna instantly remind yourself that you are that too.

• 43:00Jonathan Owens?

  Right.

• 43:00Fred Taylor?

  You know, and playing fast and playing free. And that's what it's about. And that's what helped me kind of regain myself.

• 43:06Jonathan Owens?

  I appreciate that.

• 43:07Fred Taylor?

  For sure.

• 43:07Channing Crowder?

  It's funny because playing ball, you big and strong and all, so like my wife and kids amazed that I can like pick up a couch. You know, I love seeing on my shoulder and my kids are amazed by it like, oh daddy, you're so strong. With Simone, like, does she do stupid athletic stuff? Like if, if she go on the driver's side, you'd be like, nah baby, I drive. Does she like jump over the car instead of walk around?

• 43:28Jonathan Owens?

  Honestly, with her, it more so be like, she'll just randomly do a split like, or she'll be just stretching and her leg will just be right here. And I'm like, bruh, that looks so, like she'll send me a picture and her leg is just kind of like right here next to her head. I'm like, bro, what are you doing?

• 43:41Channing Crowder?

  I think, I think she might be trying to give you a sign.

• 43:46Channing Crowder?

  I would go in there, I was, you know, all due respect.

• 43:49Jonathan Owens?

  He been waiting.

• 43:51Channing Crowder?

  Like, yeah, I was, I was.

• 43:57Ryan Clark?

  Maybe one of them little uneven bars in the bedroom or something.

• 44:02Jonathan Owens?

  That man trying to get me in trouble.

• 44:06Jonathan Owens?

  He did good. He did good today though.

• 44:07Ryan Clark?

  He did good for sure, man.

• 44:09Jonathan Owens?

  I seen you. I seen some quotes.

• 44:11Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, he's been very respectful, dawg. He's been very respectful. Fred asked about the mental health piece with Simone and being married, like so much, you share so much. Like you said, that happened in the bed because that's where you're spending time with your significant other, with your wife. When you know somebody's the best to have ever done something, and even from a mental point, she needed a break. What did you learn from that? From knowing, from being able to see her, from being able to see her compete, knowing how hard she works, knowing how she excels.

• 44:51Ryan Clark?

  But even knowing that you can be that, at that elite of a level and still be overwhelmed. How did that teach you how to take care of yourself and thinking, like you said, a sports psychologist and making sure you were in the right place if even the best ever could be overwhelmed?

• 45:08Jonathan Owens?

  Honestly, man, it's.

• 45:11Jonathan Owens?

  Ah, man, cuz I, I went through it with her, you know, like, the night before everything happened at the Olympics. Man, we on the phone, like, I'm, you know, on FaceTime, like, baby, you got it, you know, like, just trying to help, kind of, boost, and she's, you know, just kind of telling me, like, some, you know, something's up, like, you know, I don't really trust myself. It was just crazy, man, like, like you said, the best, you know, the pressure gets to, you know, everyone, you know, so you have to make sure you take care of your mental, you know, just because you can't see, you know, uh, you know, mental issues, you can't see it, people don't think they need to take care of it, you know? It just made me know how important it is, just being around her and just seeing, like, we just, we might be in the bed, and, you know, she might just start crying, just because of the trauma that, you know, caused from it, and, um, I was glad that she did get to get those couple of years, that's to kind of decompress, and,

• 45:55Jonathan Owens?

  whew, you know, we went, took some trips, man, got married, and, um, now it just look like she coming out, you know, with a clear mind, you know, because she did work on it, she's been to the therapy. Shoot, I went to therapy, cuz, you know, she, she does it, you know what I mean? We went to therapy together, and it was just something, she not made it cool, but like, it was something that I know, like, this is something you really should, like, cuz I had never, I, I had never seen, or like, knew people that just go to therapy, you know, just, so seeing, she's really the first one I really seen, and, you know, she had the online therapy, and, um, then we did the premarital counseling and everything, she just opened that door to me, to where I know, like, you know, talking to a third person, you know, cuz I can tell you everything all day, you know what I mean?

• 46:35Jonathan Owens?

  But talking to someone outside and just, um, that just is there to just analyze and just hear what you have to say, that was just, like I said, it was, it was a big thing for me, so she, it's not made it cool, but, to the point, it made me wanna just, you know, pay attention more and go through it with her, so.

• 46:50Ryan Clark?

  So, so here's my last question, you're still a young man, so it's very early on in your life, like, you're here because of what I saw on film. I was like, man, dude's ballin', and for me, it's always about having an opportunity to tell stories from a different perspective, from people. That you may not know what they had to go through to be at that point. For you, what has been the biggest pivot? What has been the one moment, whether you needed that moment to get here? That moment taught you a lesson that allowed you to get here? Or it's actually the thing that put you here? What do you think is the biggest pivot so far for you?

• 47:28Jonathan Owens?

  So I got two. So I got like a career pivot, I guess, and then like a life. So my life will be my senior of college. I'm in camp and like my stepdad, he was basically in my life since I was four or five. And so that was, you know, who helped raise me, you know what I mean? Fresh after practice, we probably have two weeks until the season starts. And my coach, they walked me up to the office. I'm like, why am I, why y'all take me to the office? And they tell me that, well, my stepdad got shot and killed in an armed robbery. And, you know, that's just who was there with my mom. And my mom is disabled. She has a rare muscle disease, so she's not able to walk too great. So, you know, my mom, I'm like, man, my mom at home by herself now.

• 48:10Jonathan Owens?

  And that was the moment where I'm like, man, I gotta, I gotta do something to make my family situation better, man. Like, I don't know if y'all know too much about St. Louis, but, you know, it, you know, it get, it get grimy there. And, you know, depending on where you at, you know what I mean? So that was the moment for me, man, where I'm just like, man, I gotta do something, you know? And like I said, this was like, I, I had, I had good seasons in college, but that was the moment where I just had a different type of driving force in the games. And, you know, all my teammates seen it and like I just told them like, you know, follow me, you know what I mean? And they were all there, man, they helped, they picked me up, man. Because I'll never forget, man, I'm sitting there crying just, and I'm just thinking like, man, like I gotta do something. And man, I go on to have my best year of college.

• 48:52Jonathan Owens?

  And that was really what put me in a position to where I did have scouts coming to a D2 school. And I had a pro day at our school, you know what I mean? And man, it was just crazy, had all them scouts there and everything. And then my career pivot will have to be. I started the year out on practice squad 2021. I think I played seven games. So I was, I was on practice squad for the first eight weeks of the season. Then they signed me and I played like three, four games as special teams. And then Justin Reed, that's my boy. He, uh, he gets a concussion against Seattle. And so I played the whole second half of the Seattle game. So I'm still new to this. So I'm like, man, that's Russell Wilson, like, you know, that's how I was still thinking, you know? And then the next game Jacksonville is my first NFL start, man. Like I'm nervous, nervous, man.

• 49:37Jonathan Owens?

  My family nervous. I go out there, I had eight tackles in the first half and it's like I'm tackling stuff out the post. Running back bust through. I'm coming like full speed, you know, chopping them down and making it look routine. And then the next game, you know, we playing the Chargers and I'm like, Justin, uh, he comes back. The other safety gets COVID. So I was at free safety this game. Now I'm in the box. And man, I intercepted against Justin Herbert in a, like a critical, like they were a playoff team. You know, we weren't competing for anything, but you know, it's, you know, in the NFL, you always putting great film up out there. Man, they, they tried corner post on me in cover two. I undercut it, pick off Herbert and it was like slow motion. Like it was crazy and the craziest thing was I was mic'd up that game. My mom, she was sitting next to Simone in the stands.

• 50:20Jonathan Owens?

  So obviously when I did, made a play, the TV put Simone on the stand. My mom is right there. So my mom's on like ESPN highlights, you know? And my whole family is getting to see that. And it was just, um, that was like a cra- that was like my, like, you know, I've made it, you know? An NFL moment, you know? I got posted on the social media page. That was my first time. So it was a super dope moment, but that let me know, like, that let me believe, you know? But crazy things, this is how God, oh, you know, he always gonna test you. First play of the next game, I was still on kickoff return at the center. Starting to say, but I was on kickoff return. Next game, dislocate my wrist, first, first kickoff of the game. And so it's like, I just had the best game of my life, like, you know? And next game, dislocate my wrist. Now, um, we only had two more games left, so it was the end of the season.

• 51:05Jonathan Owens?

  But, um, it was like another, you know, another valley I had to go through. You know what I mean? And, um, came back rehab from it and started 17 games last year. And it was, you know, the moment where I just, you know, I could consider myself a starter in the NFL. Changed my resume, you know, so.

• 51:21Fred Taylor?

  Keep taking care of your mental and like Marshawn say, take care of your chicken.

• 51:25Jonathan Owens?

  Yes, sir.

• 51:26Fred Taylor?

  And speaking of chicken. How's the food in Green Bay compared to Houston?

• 51:32Jonathan Owens?

  You gonna try to get me in trouble?

• 51:35Fred Taylor?

  It's a real question. Simone, she cook?

• 51:37Jonathan Owens?

  My baby get down, stop playing. Oh, yeah, I love when she come up there.

• 51:41Fred Taylor?

  Well, let me ask you this. How's the food in St. Louis compared to Houston? Because I know St. Louis got a different type of, like, barbecue and stuff.

• 51:50Jonathan Owens?

  St. Louis, man, St. Louis street. But Houston just, man, you can't, you can't compare Houston, man. It's just, it's so many restaurants, you know what I mean? Like, every culture you need, every style of food. You got lounges. You want to go to the club, you still get food. Like, it's everything you need there, you know what I mean? So, Green Bay is just, man, it's, it's, it's, it's good, though. You know, it doesn't have the same restaurants, but you, you know, in my mind, since I've been to other places, I'm like, this is, this is Green Bay nice. So, this is their, you know, this is their nice steakhouse, you know what I mean? Just because I've seen other places, but.

• 52:22Channing Crowder?

  Food good to me, man. I didn't need some, I need the facility food and some chicken wings on Friday. I ain't mad at you. I'm gonna give, I'm gonna give you some unkey vice on the way out. There's some real stuff. Y'all talk about cover seven, double moves. Boy, y'all need to make some babies, boy. Y'all need to make, I love you, babies.

• 52:40Jonathan Owens?

  I don't worry about that. I gotta let my, I gotta let my baby handle herself first.

• 52:43Channing Crowder?

  I'll invest NIL, future earnings, whatever y'all need, but y'all go make some. And let me tell you this. Round two makes babies. That first, that first, huh huh huh, that's just dog slobber.

• 52:56Jonathan Owens?

  Respect, respect.

• 52:57Channing Crowder?

  That second round is a bullet of babies. So, you gotta go round two to make a baby. Now, I'm telling y'all, y'all, this is, this is, oh, this is a man with three children.

• 53:06Jonathan Owens?

  Respect.

• 53:06Simone Biles?

  What happens if twins run in our family, both of us?

• 53:09Channing Crowder?

  Make seven twins, that's 14.

• 53:13Channing Crowder?

  That's 14.

• 53:15Jonathan Owens?

  How about, how about that, Chan? We just gonna enjoy the process, man, that's what I tell you, man.

• 53:20Channing Crowder?

  That's the best part is the process, huh?

• 53:21Jonathan Owens?

  Enjoy the process.

• 53:22Channing Crowder?

  We talking about fuck?

• 53:23Jonathan Owens?

  We talking about practice.

• 53:24Channing Crowder?

  Oh, I thought we talking about, we talking about practice?

• 53:25Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah, practice.

• 53:26Channing Crowder?

  Ah, that's fun.

• 53:27Jonathan Owens?

  You know?

• 53:28Channing Crowder?

  I had to respect you, man. I ain't do nothing but practice anymore anyway.

• 53:34Ryan Clark?

  And here it goes, the pivot. But nah, man, I think, I love the story. I love where you are now, but the story isn't finished. And I'll say this, draft picks, right? Especially early draft picks. They get an infinite amount of time to prove to people that they cannot play.

• 53:49Jonathan Owens?

  Right.

• 53:49Ryan Clark?

  Right? They go to one team, they can't play there, somebody else gives them an opportunity. What you do as an undrafted free agent is spend your entire career proving to people you can't play. Right? And you never lose that. Right? Continue every day, man, to go out and prove to people that you're supposed to be there. Like, never lose that, because that's something that we have, that they can't have, because they've never been there. But, man, I appreciate you, bruh. I'm really excited that we had the conversation, man. Best of luck, too, man.

• 54:17Jonathan Owens?

  Thank you, man.

• 54:18Ryan Clark?

  All right, bro. And you know what, too, man? I traded J. Reece.

• 54:20Jonathan Owens?

  Man, you traded J. Reece?

• 54:21Ryan Clark?

  Yeah. My dog, Trey Mahoney out there with you?

• 54:26Fred Taylor?

  Was Marcellus up there?

• 54:27Ryan Clark?

  Uh, nah.

• 54:28Fred Taylor?

  So he wasn't, he's in, you know, he's in Chicago, in Chicago now.

• 54:31Ryan Clark?

  You got my number?

• 54:34Jonathan Owens?

  Huh?

• 54:35Ryan Clark?

  Your Cigarettel trade, too?

• 54:37Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah, I got Cigarettel trade.

• 54:38Ryan Clark?

  Oh.

• 54:38Simone Biles?

  No, he didn't talk about it.

• 54:41Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, so, yeah. So you know, I don't have, so you know, I don't have a spleen, I don't have a gallbladder, none of that.

• 54:46Jonathan Owens?

  So I play in Denver, I was cool, I just had to, like, make sure I overly hydrated.

• 54:50Ryan Clark?

  Well, I was strained up, though.

• 54:52Jonathan Owens?

  Houston, Houston camp? First day, I'm cramping up every time.

• 54:56Ryan Clark?

  I didn't know why, though, you know what I mean? Like, back when I was doing it, it wasn't, like, you just saying no, you know what I mean?

• 55:01Jonathan Owens?

  So I knew I had to trade, but I just never knew why I was cramped prone in, like, college. Soon as I would come down the third quarter, like, my, my calf would start twitching. I'm like, why I'm cramped?

• 55:10Ryan Clark?

  And you twitchy, too.

• 55:11Jonathan Owens?

  Yeah, so that's what, you know, you know, when that calf, when that calf kind of grab on you, like, that meant the whole day over with after that, so.

• 55:19Ryan Clark?

  Yeah.

• 55:44Speaker 06

  Every game day, you show up for your team. Now, it's your time.

• 55:54Speaker 07

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